The fruit is entirely from the Bizot vineyard in Piccadilly Valley, an elevated site planted 1995/1996 in the village of Summertown. The fruit is fermented in older oak barrels. The wine spends around four years on lees. A very vinous sparkling wine, textural and rich, elevated by big, effervescent bubbles. The wine feels saline and minerally, and finds complexity from sweet brown spices through to nougat, vanilla cream and toasted brioche notes. Green apple and candied citrus lead nectarine in the primary fruit profile. There’s an opulence here, a generosity; a layered and nuanced sparkling wine overall.
94 points